Field of the Disclosure
Examples of the present disclosure are related to systems and methods for a heat sink. More particularly, embodiments disclose a light fixture with a heat sink configured to dissipate heat caused by the light fixture, wherein the heat sink includes wings that are positioned perpendicular to a central axis of the light fixture.
Background
Greenhouses are buildings or complexes in which plants are grown. For various reasons including price, it is typically ideal for greenhouses to operate with as much natural sunlight as possible. To supplement natural light from the sun, high powered lights are used within greenhouses when the sun or other natural light does not provide enough light for optimal plant growth.
However, the operation of the high powered lights is more costly than utilizing free sunlight. More so, conventional high powered lights are larger in size, which blocks the incoming free sunlight. Furthermore, the blocking of the incoming sunlight causes shading on the plants within the greenhouse, which negatively impacts the grower's productivity.
Although light emitting diodes (LEDs) are more efficient than traditional high powered lights, their manufacturing costs are higher. Additionally, the LEDs cause excessive shading based on requiring larger fixtures to dissipate heat. To circumvent the large fixtures required to dissipate the heat, some manufacturers have attempted to build smaller LED fixtures that use active cooling fans. However, in greenhouse environments, active cooling fans quickly clog with dirt, bugs, etc. This causes the LED fixtures with active cooling fans to quickly become inoperable.
Conventional LED fixtures that do not include active cooling fans use traditional linear heat sinks. However, traditional linear heat sinks include wings that extend in a direction parallel with a central axis of the conventional LED fixtures. Heat generated through conventional LED fixtures may dissipate based on convection, conduction or radiation. However, due to LED fixtures being suspended, there is minimal heat dissipation via conduction. Radiation is a function of the fixture temperature and may be significant, and convection is the primary method to dissipate heat. In applications, air particles remove heat from the fixture through air movement. For longer heat sinks, air movement within the middle of the fixtures is minimal. This severely limits the amount of power conventional LED fixtures can consume because additional power consumption leads to more heat.
Accordingly, needs exist for more effective and efficient systems and methods for a heat sink within a light fixture including wings that are positioned perpendicular to the central axis of the light fixture, wherein the heat sink creates a cross-flow thermal management system dissipating larger amount of heat in slimmer fixtures.